Senkō
by Bonesboy15
Summary: AU. Max Mercury has found something hidden in the Speed Force. Lost in a world unfamiliar to him with his memories gone, a new member of the Flash Family comes to live in the Twin Cities. Watch him rediscover who he is and what it means to be a hero. My pet project since the end of KSOC.
1. Out of the Forest, Into the Force

**AN: Yeah, I know. So many stories, so little time. I'm experimenting. Seeing what sticks. Sue me. I dare you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DC or Naruto. I think I've said both enough that the point came across.**

**Senkō**

**1: Out of the Forest, Into the Force**

* * *

><p>Jay Garrick wasn't a patient man by any means. He was the first to take up the moniker of Flash, after all. The first Flash...a hero long forgotten, even among some of the new generation. He was fine with that. He did his time back in the forties, stopping criminals like The Monocle and fighting off monstrous mutations on Mars known as Spider-Men.<p>

Sure, occasionally he'd come out to help the young'uns, but those calls were few and far in between. He might have been sixty physically, but he was still an old man technically. Even Jay wasn't sure how long his joints would be able to hold out. Hence why he got to live without much requests from the new Justice Society –Er, Justice League.

So imagine his surprise when Barry Allen, the current Flash, and Max Mercury, the man believed to be the first speedster, arrived on his doorstep.

"Max? Barry? Come in, I'll make some coffee." Jay said kindly.

"Not a social call, Jay." Barry said. He sounded serious. Then again, Barry always sounded serious. He needed to relax a bit.

"It's the Force, Jay." Max said. The old Native American looked like a schoolboy. His experience with the Speed Force drove him to obsess over the near sentient energy. It sent him travelling through time until he arrived in the time between Jay hanging his helmet up and Barry donning the scarlet suit. Max knew everything there was to know about the Speed Force. "It's calling to us."

Personally, Jay didn't like the Speed Force. It bothered him, knowing that something other than the good Lord was watching over him. He accepted it, but that was begrudgingly.

"And? What's it saying, Max?" Jay asked. They wouldn't have come if it weren't important, after all.

"Listen." Max said. He was urging the older man to listen, practically pleading. Jay humored him, closing his eyes and listening. Then he heard it. It was faint, but he heard it and damned if Jay didn't almost have a speed stroke from it.

_Help me!_

Jay's eyes snapped open and he looked at the two men before him. "I don't understand, what does this mean?"

"We need your help." Barry said. "Someone's trapped in the Speed Force."

* * *

><p>"So how to we get them out?" Jay asked as he ran next to Barry, both of them suited up. Max was on Barry's back, his body not graced with the same slowed aging like Jay's meant that the poor speedster was now reduced to hitching rides.<p>

"Max has a theory on that." Barry said. "He's got a machine. A treadmill he's been working on. Only problem is, it's experimental. And I haven't got enough speed to power it alone."

"And you're not risking the Kid. Good. I'd have killed you myself if you went to him." Jay said. The Kid was Jay's nickname for Kid Flash, also known as Wally West, Barry's nephew and number one fan. After an attempt to replicate the Barry's accident, Wally had succeeded and got his own, albeit diluted, powers. He was surprised to find out that his uncle was his hero. He was not surprised to be grounded for putting himself in the hospital.

"Iris would've beaten you to it." Barry said humorously. Jay laughed in agreement to that. Iris West Allen, Barry's wife, was very against Wally becoming Kid Flash in the first place. Poor dear now had two boys to worry about, unlike his wife Joan.

"Left here." Max said, directing the speedsters. Within minutes they came across an old warehouse that looked like it had been around since Keystone was founded. Max dropped down from Barry's back, walking to the warehouse and opening the door with a key. "Come on. We haven't much time. The call is faint."

Max led them over to a tarp-covered object and pulled the tarp off, revealing the large treadmill with a control console on the side.

"I used this once to get a lock on the Black Flash when he took Iris." Barry said as he went to the console. "If I can get the right frequency I can lock onto the abnormality in the Speed Force."

"How long will that take?" Jay asked.

"Not long. Max, you have the formula?" Barry asked. The old speedster gently pushed the forensic scientist out of his way.

"I'll handle it, you two need to be ready to run." Max said. His fingers blurred across the machine for about two minutes before he stopped. "Okay, that should do it."

"Ready, old man?" Barry asked good-naturedly.

"I'll show you _old_, Allen." Jay said with a smile. The two Flashes started at a relatively normal pace before they went faster. Their legs blurred, and yet they continued to speed up. The windows, what remained in the warehouse, shattered when they reached Mach One.

"Just a bit faster!" Max called over the sound of the machine.

Jay felt the barest hint of exhaustion settling in. He brushed it aside, narrowing his eyes in determination and pumping his arms faster to compensate. He glanced at Barry, the scarlet speedster not showing a hint of fatigue. It made Jay wonder just how fast Barry was.

"Got it!" Max said, hitting a button on the console. A portal in front of the two Flashes crackled open, lightning shooting out from the rim of it. Colors, mostly reds and yellows, filled the portal. Then there was an orange blur. It was getting closer.

"Barry!" Jay said once he made out the humanoid figure with a black shirt and orange pants. Barry nodded and jumped off, his hand reaching out and grabbing the back of the human's shirt. The Flash turned around and raced against the pull of the Speed Force, now showing exhaustion while he simultaneously ran a divot into the ground.

Barry finally started to pull the figure out, grunting under the strain. Jay hopped off and raced over to Barry's side, grabbing the shirt and pulling the human out of the Speed Force. When they started to pull his feet out, Max hit the emergency off switch. The portal started to close and shut only after Barry and Jay managed to pull out the form of a teenage boy.

"You got him!" Max said, coming over to the two panting men's side and helping them back to their feet. The three speedsters looked down at the unconscious newcomer with concern.

"What do we do now?" Barry asked.

"We find out how long he was in the Force." Max said.

"The poor boy can't be older than the Kid." Jay said, crouching down and picking the young man up. "Let's get him to a bed and get some food ready."

"Joan cooking?" Barry asked.

"For the three of us? Joan might be amazing in the kitchen, but she ain't a miracle worker." Jay said with a chuckle. "No sir. Might want to go to one of those S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Right. Max?" Barry looked to the older man.

"I'll take a cab." Max said, waving Barry off. "I need to get some notes for them to compare to and I'll have to make my own notes when I get there."

"Not a bad idea." Barry said. He looked to Jay. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way." Jay said.

* * *

><p>"<em>Idiot! That seal isn't even close to being right!"<em>

"_How was I supposed to know? You left me to chase after that lady!"_

"_Yeah, well I didn't exactly expect you to do something like this!"_

"_You told me to practice! What do I do?"_

"_We have to get out of the area! C'mon-!"_

Then there was light...and he was running.

He was running for so long. All his problems were behind him. He couldn't think of anything other than how wonderful it was to run. Then something appeared behind him, black and ghoulish with a red lightning bolt on the chest...Claws that impaled his stomach and took something from him.

Blue eyes snapped open and he shot up from his bed, two hands grabbing either of his shoulders and pushing him back down.

"Easy, son." A gentle and kind elderly voice said. He looked to his left and his eyes landed on a guy around the Pervy Sage's age. He was dressed oddly; wearing a red shirt with a lightning bolt on it, blue slacks and a helmet with wings on it. The man smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "You're safe now."

"Wh-what? Where...Who are you? Where am I? Why does my mouth feel weird?" He asked. A moment passed and he wrapped his arms around his stomach. "Ohh...and why am I so _hungry_?"

"All in good time. In the meantime, here, have some food." The old guy said, offering a plate with a strange looking meal on it. He didn't even care what it looked like; he just snatched it from the old guy and devoured it like a savage. Another plate was set in front of him and he continued to eat, making the old guy laugh.

"He certainly eats like we do." An amused voice said from the side. He looked over at the speaker, finding a man in a red outfit with a yellow lightning bolt on the chest in the center of a white circle. A red cowl that looked like it was connected to the suit hid the man's face. The man in red smiled at him. "Hey there. Name's Flash."

"Weird name." He said with a full mouth. He strained to swallow before sighing in relief when he succeeded. He gave the man a red a bright smile. "I'm Naruto!"

"Nice to meet you, Naruto." The old man said, taking one of the strange foods from the plate and eating it at a sedate pace. When he finished be pounded a fist against his chest and burped. "Excuse me. Name's Jay Garrick."

Naruto looked between the two. "You're that guy's dad?"

"Ha! Nope, he might as well be though." The man in red, the Flash, said. "Jay here helped me figure out a lot when I was starting out."

"As a clown?" Naruto asked. He grabbed another of the strange meat in long bun things and shoveled it into his mouth.

Flash frowned while Jay burst into laughter. The masked man gave a pout to his elder. "Real funny, Garrick. You wore the colors before me!"

"Yes, but mine was a jersey from my college and a spare pair of slacks." Jay said, his laughter dancing in his eyes. He looked at Naruto with amusement. The smile on his face dimmed down. "Kid, we need to talk about something serious."

"Like what?" Naruto asked, biting into another one of those meat things. "Mm, this is almost as good as Ramen. What's it called?"

"They're called hotdogs." Flash said, amused. He sat on the end of the bed and grabbed one. Taking a bite, Flash looked at the kid and continued. "What's the last thing you remember before you woke up?"

Naruto paused in mid bite and chewed, trying to remember. He felt a throb of pain and groaned. "I...I can barely remember. I remember training...a guy called...Pervy Sage..."

"...Pervy Sage?" Flash asked.

"They'll let anyone teach kids these days." Jay said, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Everything else...it's a blur." Naruto said, frowning. He looked at the plate that had been set before him. Most of the hotdogs that were on it were gone, only three left. He looked at the one in his hand. "How many have I eaten?"

"Thirty-eight and a half." Jay said. "A fair amount considering-Good God, kid!"

Jay was taken aback as Naruto finished the hotdog in his hand and then devoured the last three. He looked at his plate longingly and then at Jay. "Got any more?"

Flash burst into laughter at the innocent question. He surprised Naruto by reappearing at his side and patting him on the head. "He's got the stomach of a natural speedster!"

"Get off me!" Naruto said, swinging at Flash. His simple swing happened in the blink of an eye. Naruto gaped and swung his arm back, it moved faster than he had thought it would, but it didn't hurt. "What the...?"

"Super speed." Flash said. He looked at Jay and the older man nodded. Flash nodded back, rushing around the room, up the walls and dismantling the cameras. When he was finished, Flash ran down to the door and stepped out, said something to the guards posted outside, and then rushed back in, the door hissing shut behind him. Flash gave Jay the thumbs up and Jay nodded again.

Jay looked to Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder. "Son, a few hours ago, Flash and I pulled you out of something called the Speed Force, a sentient force that gives the power to all speedsters, which is what Flash and I are."

"I...I don't understand. What's happened to me? Why can't I remember everything?" Naruto asked. He grabbed his head. "All I know is that my name is Naruto. I'm fifteen years old...I was born in October. October...tenth."

"You need to relax, son." Jay said gently. "We pulled you out of the Speed Force. You're one of us now, too."

"Which, by the way, is really cool." Flash said with a smile. Naruto gave him a wary look and Flash chuckled. "Right, almost forgot."

He reached up and pulled the cowl off his head, revealing a man with blue eyes like his own and similar, if not lighter, blond hair. Another grin was given to him and Flash offered his hand to the boy. "Barry Allen, the man behind the mask."

"...You've got two names?" Naruto asked. He slowly lifted his hand and Flash (or is it Barry?) took it, giving him a shake that blurred his hand.

"Flash is the name I use when I don't want the people close to me to get hurt." Barry explained. He let go of Naruto's hand and smiled gently. "You've got a gift, Naruto. You can use it to help others."

"Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Barry." Jay said. "Naruto has his own choices to make."

"Yeah, but he's a good person." Barry said, crossing his arms over his chest and smiling. "I can tell."

"And?" Jay asked.

Barry chuckled. "See through me like a glass, huh? Well, I figure Wally could use someone his age to work with. Heck, I know I would've appreciated it, but you could only do so much, Jay."

"You've got a point there." Jay said with a nod of agreement. He looked to Naruto and arched a brow. "What do you say kid? Want to blow this joint?"

"Yeah...I'll do it." Naruto said. He gave the men a sad smile. "I've got nowhere else to go."

"That's not true." Jay said, putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Every speedster is welcome in the Garrick home."

* * *

><p>"Well isn't he just the handsomest young man?" Joan Garrick had said when Naruto first arrived that month ago. She had complained about his shaggy hair and insisted on cutting it down short, which went along well with the blond's lean build. Joan had also lent him some make up to cover the faint scars he had on either cheek. After two days of practicing his powers with Jay, Naruto stopped bothering with it since it just kept peeling off in the wind.<p>

It was March now, and Naruto, now known as the recently discovered great-nephew of Jay Garrick, Nathaniel Jason Garrick. He was enrolled in Keystone High, but currently he was in the twin city, Central City, with his new friend...Wally West. The redheaded speedster was at first offended that there was a new kid his age with the same powers, but then he let it go and got to know Naruto. He thought that the blond was naïve and kind of stupid, so Wally took it upon himself to teach his friend how to fix it. He decided to take him to the Central City Mall.

"Smell the urban jungle, my friend! For it is fierce and yet crawling with beautiful creatures." Wally said, turning and ogling a brunette as she walked by.

"Pervert." Naruto said, giving the redhead a light punch on the arm.

"Don't lie, you took a peek, too." Wally said, grinning.

"No, I didn't." Naruto said, looking away.

"I saw the speed peek." Wally said, nudging the blond in the arm. "Best perk in my opinion."

"Whatever, Wally." Naruto said, his head shaking in amusement. The blond stole a glance at himself in the window of a clothing shop, looking over his new clothes since Wally had taken him out. Before he would wear Jay's old clothes, or 'old people' clothes as Wally called them, but now he was decked out in 'cool duds', again, Wally's words. A red Flash shirt – which was practically unavoidable in Central or Keystone – and baggy jeans, as well as some special shoes that S.T.A.R. Labs had created for him after they got Max's notes. Max had even made him a full background, keeping him off the government's radar.

He just wished that the outfit had some orange for some reason.

"Check it out, honeys at three o'clock." Wally said, grinning as he waved at a pair of girls. Naruto followed his gaze and smiled a bit timidly at the girls, giving them a smaller wave. The girls giggled, huddled together and sped walk past them, giving them another glance over their shoulders. Wally rested his arms behind his head. "Yeah, stick with me kid and I'll show you how to get one of those soon."

"Aren't I a month older than you?" Naruto asked, arching a brow.

"Semantics." Wally said, waving it off. "Besides, when it comes to Central City's Mall, I'm a veteran."

"Sure you are." Naruto said, rolling his eyes. He slid his hands into his pockets as they walked through the mall, Wally pointing out the 'hotties' to him, stopping at every snack bar and buying two of the best product.

It was when they stopped at a coffee stand with a radio playing did something interesting happen.

"_The Trickster is holed up in Central Bank, but Flash is in Keystone stopping Gorilla Grodd._" The newscaster said. "_It's a horrible scene, several police cars being melted by Trickster's snot gun and people being kept at bay by the police. Flash, if you can somehow hear this, hurry!_"

"Well, duty calls, 'Nate'." Wally said, running at a civilian pace to the nearest janitor closet. Naruto crossed his arms, looking miffed. He hadn't a 'costume' of his own to wear otherwise he'd go, too. A yellow blur rushed out of the closet to the doors and Naruto used Gibber-rush, a form of speed talk that Jay had taught him, to give the banana suited hero a message.

"Kick some ass for me."

The whiskered blond frowned, almost pouting, as he was left in the mall of on his own. He listened to the newscast and sipped his coffee, finishing it rather quickly and tossing it before he burst into a run. He ran to the sporting goods store on the right, running in and grabbing a red ski mask that covered everything but his eyes. He grabbed a pair of yellow glasses after that and ran out, dropping a fifty on the counter as well as the tags of the items he bought.

Like hell he was sitting out like some boob, it was time he got some action.

Naruto skid to a stop outside of the bank just in time to see Kid Flash fly out from the bank, trapped by two giant jacks of varying colors. Naruto arched a brow behind his glasses, chuckling as he sped over to Kid Flash and flicking the jacks pinning him down.

"So...Having fun?" he asked.

"Who are-Naruto!" Kid Flash said, loudly. He looked around and glared at the masked teen. "What are you doing here?!"

"Helping you. Duh." Naruto said.

"I'm fine on my own, thanks." Kid Flash said, huffing.

"Really?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowing while he smirked behind his mask.

"You just watch," Kid Flash said, "I'll be out of here in a second."

Naruto crossed his arms and watched Kid Flash try to vibrate himself through the jacks, stopping when his nose started to bleed with a groan. Naruto shook his head and grabbed the jacks, vibrating his the molecules in his arms and in the metal oversized toys until Kid Flash fell through the entrapment with a surprised cry. Naruto stopped and crossed his arms again.

"You had it, huh?" he asked.

"Shut up! Not all of us got our powers from the Speed Force, you know." Kid Flash said.

"Consider yourself lucky." Naruto said, frowning behind his mask. He lost his memories in trade for his powers. If Naruto had to choose, he'd choose his memories every day. Shaking those thoughts off, Naruto turned back to the bank. "So how do we do this?"

"We've just got to immobilize him." Kid Flash said. "Get James out of the costume and he's just another guy off his meds."

"Only with acid guns, supersized jacks and explosive teddy bears." Naruto said, giving Kid Flash a grin beneath his mask.

"...I hate face masks, I can't tell what you're doing." Kid Flash said with a pout.

"Not my fault I don't have a costume. Ba-Flash has been telling me I'm not ready yet." Naruto said, frowning.

"Yeah, well, I'm so helping you make your costume." Kid Flash said. There was an explosion and the two speedsters looked back at the bank. "Well, after this anyway. I've got a plan. We'll rush him and spin him around until he's too dizzy to see straight. Then we strip him and take him back to the hospital."

"Good call." Naruto said, giving Kid Flash a nod. He cracked his neck and knuckles. "Let's do this."

The two speedsters ran back into the bank, speeding around Trickster as the harlequin dressed man took aim with his snot gun. Kid Flash grabbed one arm and Naruto grabbed the other, holding him as they ran. Kid Flash gave the order to let go and they did, causing Trickster to spin around like a multicolored tornado until he fell down with a groan on his stomach.

"Mommy...I don't want to play anymore..." Trickster said before passing out.

"Mommy?" Naruto asked.

"James is an okay guy on his meds. He needs help, so the faster we get him back to the hospital, the better." Kid Flash said. Naruto nodded and helped Kid Flash take the childish man's costume off, leaving him in a white t-shirt, plain boxers and socks. Kid Flash hoisted James Jesse onto his shoulders with a grunt before giving Naruto a glower. "Why am I taking him back, again? You're going to be left with the reporters, that's my job!"

"You know where his room is and what hospital he goes to." Naruto said with a shrug. He peeled the upper part of the red mask off his head and ran a hand through his matted short golden hair. "Great, now Grandma Joan's going to give me a hard time over this."

"Make sure you tell the world that I came up with the plan." Kid Flash said before he zipped off. Naruto shook his head and walked out of the bank, the police raising their weapons at him. He raised his hands.

"Whoa! I'm with Kid Flash, easy guys!" Naruto said. The cops narrowed their eyes for a moment before they lowered their weapons. Naruto sighed in relief. "Whew, that would've been a pain to explain to my grandma. The bank is secure. Kid Flash took Trickster back to the hospital."

"We need to have him get arrested first...Ah, who am I kidding, he would've wound up there anyway." A policeman said. He holstered his weapon and offered Naruto his hand. "Got a name, kid?"

"Uhh...not yet." Naruto said sheepishly, taking the officer's hand. "You?"

"Sgt. John Park." The man, John, said. He reclaimed his hand after Naruto shook it and rubbed his neck. "I've only been here a month and I'm not used to any of this. Chicago didn't have this problem."

"Yeah, not a lot of cities do." Naruto said with a chuckle.

Sgt. Park gave Naruto an odd look. "You sound kind of young. How old are you?"

"Uhh...Oh, look! It's the local news team. It was nice meeting you, Sgt. Park. Hope we work together on something soon!" Naruto said before he sped off to the news team with a familiar face among them. Naruto smiled under his mask at the reporter on site, Barry's wife Iris. The brunette knockout of a reporter was standing behind the barricade with a microphone in front of her mouth.

"Iris West Allen for the Central News at Central Bank. Only ten minutes ago, the notorious Trickster chose the Central Bank as his play area." Iris said into the camera. "Thanks to Kid Flash and a new speedster, Trickster is back where he belongs. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good scoop."

"Ask and ye shall receive!" Naruto said, appearing at her side. He turned and waved with beaming eyes at the camera. "Hi grandma! Hey gramps!"

"Well, I've had my share of Kid Flash hogging the camera, but who are you?" Iris asked, looking amused at Naruto's antics. Naruto looked at her and shrugged.

"Don't have a name yet." He said and pulled at his shirt. "To be honest, I just grabbed this stuff and ran when I heard Kid Flash needed some help."

"Well aren't you the citizen of the year?" Iris asked, still smiling. "Tell me, what's it like being a speedster?"

"We're always moving." Naruto said with a chuckle. His stomach rumbled loudly and he groaned. "And unfortunately, always hungry. I'm going back home to get some food. Nice meeting you Mrs. West, er, Allen...You know what I mean. Bye!"

Naruto zipped off, leaving Iris to shield her eyes and shake her head. "There you have it folks, another under the Flash's tutelage. Just goes to show you that not only do we live in the Twin Cities, but we also live in the Cities of Speed."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So yeah...here's my project since I ended Kitsune: Son of Catwoman.<strong>

**Tell me what you thought!**


	2. The Roman

**Disclaimer: I don't own DC or Naruto. I think I've said both enough that the point came across.**

**Senkō**

**2: The Roman**

* * *

><p>Naruto happily dug into the meal that Joan had cooked. It was a reward for beating the Trickster without causing too much harm. Jay was pretty nonviolent back in his day, and to see him exhibit the same restraint warmed her heart. Across from him, equally digging in with a vigor that would make one wonder if his stomach was a void, was Wally West. Wally was still dressed in his costume, only his topless cowl that let his ginger locks fly freely was pulled off. The freckled speedster happily dug into Joan's special cheeseburger pasta, a homemade meal consisting of beef, some powdered cheese and noodles.<p>

Naruto thought it was delicious, though still not as good as Ramen – he found it odd that the noodle dish was one of the few things he still remembered.

"Eating it all up, huh boys?" Jay asked, taking a seat at the head of the table. He rushed around them and scooped a large plate up, sitting back down with a small smile on his face. Joan lightly smacked him behind the head as she walked past him. "Ow! What'd I do?"

"Manners, Jason. Manners." Joan said with a coy smile. Jay just rubbed his head and smiled back at her. Joan, satisfied with that, sat at the table, looking at Naruto. "Nathan, about this superhero business...Are you certain you want to be a part of it?"

"Joan, the boy clearly wants to. He wouldn't have wasted his allowance on a ski mask and sunglasses if he didn't." Jay said in Naruto's stead. The whiskered blond nodded in agreement with his adoptive grandfather. "See?"

"Well, all right, but you'll have to find something other than jeans and a T-shirt to run around in. It might have worked for Jay, but people are more attentive to heroes now." Joan said. She liked the boy and she didn't want him to have problems down the road because someone figured out his identity.

Naruto swallowed his current mouthful and pointed his fork at Wally. "That's why the living banana peel is here. He's going to help me design it."

After giving Naruto a glare for his insult, Wally nodded to Joan, swallowing when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!"

He rushed out of his seat to the front door, opening it and beaming as soon as he did. "Uncle Barry! Aunt Iris!"

"Hey Wally, Iris told me about your stunt today." Barry said, out of his red uniform and dressed like he just came from the Central City Police Department. Wally winced and prepared for a scolding, flinching a bit when Barry put his hand on Wally's shoulder. He blinked in surprise when Barry smiled at him. "Good job taking care of Trickster."

Wally beamed at him, only for it to be broken as Iris bopped him on the head. "Ow!"

"That was for not waiting for your uncle. You and Naruto could've been seriously hurt." Iris said, frowning before she pulled her nephew into a hug. "I'm glad you're safe, Wally."

"Thanks Aunt Iris." Wally said, smiling as he hugged her back.

"Iris! Barry! Come in, come in." Joan said, smiling as she led the three back into the dining room. Jay stopped eating, standing and shaking his successor's hand, and then greeting Iris with a small hug. Wally gave his seat up and moved over to sit next to Naruto, who greeted the two with a bright smile. Barry gave Naruto the same approval he gave Wally before taking his seat.

"We're going to need a bigger table soon." Jay said, giving Barry a smirk.

"Not too soon." Iris said, correcting the man her husband saw as a father. Barry rested his hand on hers and they shared a smile before Iris continued. "Barry wants a few more free years after all, just until Wally and Naruto finish college."

"Do I have to?" Naruto asked under his breath, getting an elbow from Wally. "What? I don't like high school! Why would I like college? Can't I just be a full time hero?"

"Nathaniel Jason Garrick, you will be going to college and _that_'s the last we'll hear of it." Joan said sternly.

"Yes, Grandma Joan." Naruto said, slouching in his seat from his adoptive grandmother's scolding.

"High school isn't that bad is it?" Barry asked, amused.

"No, but I suck at science and math." Naruto said, frowning.

"I could always tutor you." Wally said.

"Thanks." Naruto said with a smile.

"So, off the topic of school, it looks like that you've got your costume ready." Barry said humorously.

"Funny, Uncle Barry." Wally said as he shook his head. He rushed out of the room and came back with a pen and some paper. The redheaded speedster made a speed doodle of a costume that looked like his own, only more flame oriented. "Ta-da! The orange flaming Kid Flash!"

"I _do_ like orange." Naruto said, grinning as he scratched his chin. Jay snorted and crossed his arms.

"You're carrying the Garrick name, kid." Jay said. "You should follow the tradition."

"Not this helmet nonsense again..." Joan said, putting a hand on her face.

"Yes this helmet nonsense again! My father's life was saved by that helmet in World War One and it saved my hide countless times on the job." Jay said.

"Maybe we could modify the helmet, Jay." Iris said, taking the pen and paper from her nephew. "And perhaps keep the costume similar to yours."

"You're a genius, sweetheart." Barry said, giving his wife a grin as she finished the more appropriate design.

"Skin tight? Won't that be uncomfortable?" Naruto asked as he looked over the picture.

"Meh, you get used to it." Wally said, shrugging.

"Besides, the girls will love it, Nathan." Iris said, giving Barry a sly look that had him grinning widely in agreement.

"...Why?" Naruto asked. Wally shook his head in disbelief.

"Add dense to his list of traits, Uncle B."

"I'm not dense!" Naruto said in protest.

"I think it's charming." Joan said with a smile.

"Now what he needs is a name." Jay said, tapping his chin. "Impulse, maybe?"

"KF mark II!" Wally said, smirking.

"The Blur?" Barry said.

"Don't I get a choice in this?" Naruto asked.

"Let the professionals handle this, Nathan." Jay said. "Speed?"

"Tempest?" Iris asked.

"Aqualad has a buddy with that name I think." Wally said. "XL!"

"Velocity?" Joan said.

"Sounds more like the name for a super heroine." Jay said. He snapped his fingers. "Max was the one that felt him first, let's call him Mercury in Max's honor!"

"Do you think Max will mind?" Barry asked.

"I'll call him up and ask. In the meantime, get to work on that uniform." Jay said as he got out of his seat.

"I hate being ignored." Naruto said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting slightly. Still, the costume Iris designed looked pretty cool. If only it had a bit more orange.

* * *

><p>A week went by and Naruto was in the city to get some groceries for Joan. He pushed the cart along while humming along to a song that was playing on the radio. The whiskered blond grabbed a tin can with a smiling chef on it, reading the ingredients before grabbing twenty more cans. The soft music coming through the speakers in the ceiling cut off and Naruto sighed as a news report warning citizens about Captain Boomerang going after Keystone City Bank cut in.<p>

"Wasn't he just arrested?" Naruto asked himself. "No wait, that was The Top. Ugh, they all blur together...Like math." The blond prepared to go apprehend the criminal, stopping and looking at his current groceries. "But I did promise Grandma Joan..."

Naruto pondered this for a moment before a light bulb went off and he grinned. Grabbing his cart, Naruto ran to the front of the store – zipping through the aisles on the way and getting the rest of the stuff he needed on the way – and preceded to check himself out. He did all this and left the correct amount on the counter in front of the cashier, who looked like she just came out of a tornado. Naruto quickly ran the food back to the Garrick house, weaving between several neighboring houses so as not to raise suspicion, and then ran back to Keystone City.

On the road, Naruto reached into his back pocket and pulled out the sunglasses he had bought a week ago, putting them on his face and pressing the hidden button on the side. Around his head, a silver helmet similar to a racer's formed and the lenses for his glasses darkened to orange, making Naruto grin. A pair of golden wings popped out on either side and Naruto lifted his shirt a bit, pressing down on the lightning bolt buckle of his silver belt. From the buckle, out popped a red and blue costume that Naruto quickly changed into, his belt separating down the middle and wrapping around his forearms to act as armguards. The lightning bolt running across his chest and down his right leg seemed to glow as Naruto added more speed. A red and blue blur weaved between the cars on the highway, people inside smiling at the sight of one of the Twin Cities' heroes.

He skidded to a stop in front of Keystone City Bank, beyond the police barricade. The young hero turned and gave the cops a thumbs up, only his smiling mouth visible on his face. "I'll take it from here, guys."

Before they could ask who he is, the newly named Mercury rushed into the bank, ducking under two silver boomerangs that were thrown at him. He got hit in the head by one returning and turned just in time to avoid the second one. Mercury looked down at the boomerang on the ground and picked it up.

"He really _does_ use metal boomerangs. Note to self, thank Grandpa Jay for the helmet idea." Mercury said to himself. The boomerang started to beep and Mercury yelped before throwing it up where it exploded overhead, the second one doing the same in the back of the teller booths.

"Aw, and here I thought I finally had you...Who the bloody hell are you?" Captain Boomerang, who looked and sounded like he just got out of a plane on loan from the Australian Air Force, asked. "I'd have at least thought Flash would've sent the Kid first instead of some nobody."

Mercury dusted his hands off. "Name's Mercury."

"Mercury? The hell has that got to do with Flash?" Capt. Boomerang asked.

"Not one of the smarter guys, huh?" Mercury asked. "So...what are the chances of you surrendering if I ask nicely?"

Capt. Boomerang, apparently over his stupor, cracked a grin. "Cheeky? I like that. Let's see just how much of a poser you are, shall we?"

"Yeah, should've known better." Mercury said, dodging to the side of a thrown boomerang and catching it as it came back. Narrowing his eyes behind his visor, Mercury tossed the boomerang at the Captain, the Aussie native stepping out of the way and letting the boomerang fly back. Mercury palmed himself in the face. "Duh."

"Not the brightest of the bunch, are ya mate? I certainly don't mind that." Capt. Boomerang said with a grin. He reached into his sleeves and pulled two more boomerangs out, throwing them and repeating the action. "Let's see how good you are at catching some timed bombs, then!"

Mercury dodged the returning boomerang, letting it explode on the steps, before catching the timed bombs out of the air. He rushed outside the bank doors and tossed them into the sky as fast and hard as he could. They exploded and the crowd cheered, but Mercury didn't stop to enjoy it. He sped back inside just in time to see Captain Boomerang leave through the stair door.

"This guy thinks he can outrun me?" Mercury asked himself, arching a brow. He smirked and ran to the door, throwing it open. "I've got this in...the...bag?"

"Surprise, chum!" Boomerang said, grinning as he hit a button on a small remote control that sent a rather large boomerang rocketing off at Mercury. The new speedster doubled over the machine as it burst through the doorway and hit him, the aerodynamically shaped rocket sliding a metal belt around his waist and two clamps over Mercury's hands and wrists. The rocket shot through the bank's entrance, taking to the skies.

Mercury struggled to get his arms free, noticing a TV screen popping up in front of him. Static crossed it before Capt. Boomerang was seen, the background was moving, so Mercury assumed he was running, and then he spoke. "G'day, mate. I see you're having a grand ol' time looking down at our beautiful city."

"What is this thing?" Mercury asked, straining as he tried to get free. "Some kind of rocket-rang?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Capt. Boomerang said with a laugh. "You see, I've trapped our boy Flash on these a number of times, and all they do is delay him a bit. Which normally is all I need to get my real plan ready. You, though, you'll probably be done after my 'rocket-rang' flattens you good against that mountain in the distance. It was a pleasure, but next time leave the heroics to the Flash."

"I'm _so_ throwing up on you when I get out of this!" Mercury said with a glare at the greedy man as the boomerang began to barrel roll.

"That's _if_ you get out of it, mate. Cheers, have a nice flight." Capt. Boomerang said with a cocky wave before the TV cut out.

"I'll show you a nice flight." Mercury said, scowling. He vibrated his arms at a fast enough speed to free them before grabbing the belt and vibrating that until it exploded. Mercury climbed atop the boomerang and carefully made his way to one rocket, speeding his fist up before punching it through and pulling wires out. As the rocket-rang started to go down, Mercury clung to it. "I really didn't think this through!"

The rocket-rang crashed, bouncing down the road until it came to a spot. Mercury dropped from it, groaning and holding his stomach before he burst into a run back to the Bank. He'll clean up the rocket-rang later, first he had to catch Boomerang. Mercury ran to the top of the bank, ducking back to the stairway as a boomerang flew past and impaled the side of a nearby building.

"I don't know how you managed to get free, boy, but rest assured, you'll wish you had just rode the damn thing after I get through with you!" Capt. Boomerang said, dropping his sacks of money to grab more boomerangs off his sleeves.

"Well, I did say I was going to throw up on you! Wanna see what I had for lunch today?" Mercury asked.

"I'll pass!" Capt. Boomerang said, throwing explosive boomerangs at the boy. "How about you come out and introduce yourself to my boomerang collection?"

"Thanks but no thanks!" Mercury said. He didn't give Boomerang the chance to throw any more of his trademark projectiles and rushed the good captain, throwing his arm out as he ran past. Mercury's clothesline knocked Captain Boomerang into the air, flipping him onto his stomach. Mercury stomped down on Boomerang's back when the good captain tried to get back up. "Move and I _will_ puke on you."

"Crud...I just got my scarf dry cleaned." Capt. Boomerang said. He groaned and collapsed on his stomach. "I guess you win this round, Mercury."

"...Huh, not once did you say 'shrimp on the barbie'." Mercury said, hoisting Capt. Boomerang to his feet and rushing him to the police line. "What's up with that?"

"Who told you I said that?" Capt. Boomerang asked.

"Kid Flash. He said you say it at least three times in a fight." Mercury said. "That's not the case?"

"Little brat...You've been made a fool, mate." Capt. Boomerang said with a scowl as the cops apprehended him. "When I get out of the joint, I'll be paying that brat his own due." He was pushed into the back of an armored car with his hands cuffed. Capt. Boomerang turned and gave Mercury a grin. "Nice to meet you, kid! Hope we meet again!"

"Maybe under better circumstances." Mercury said, grinning back and giving the villain a farewell wave. "We'll do brunch!" He turned to the awed crowd and gave them a 'what can you do?' shrug. "He's an okay guy, just down on his luck and doesn't know what else he can do."

"Where's the money? We need to do an evidence count." A policeman asked.

"Uh...back in a sec." Mercury said with an apologetic chuckle. He sped off back to the roof, grabbing the sacks Capt. Boomerang left behind. A golden trinket fell out of one and Mercury arched a brow. "Huh, what's this?"

Mercury lifted the golden trinket, and doing so found it to be more than just a trinket. It was a small statue, Egyptian from what he's seen in the textbooks.

"No way Boomerang got this here..." Mercury said. He rushed the cash back to the cops, keeping the trinket out of view and prepared to run off when none other than Iris West Allen cut him off.

"Iris West Allen, Central City News. Moments ago, Captain Boomerang, a member of Flash's Rogues attempted to rob Keystone City Bank. Like last week with the Trickster, we have a new hero to thank. Only this time, he's dressed for the occasion." Iris said with a smile. She thrust the microphone into Mercury's face. "Tell us, do you have a name now?"

Despite himself, he grinned at the antics of Flash's wife. "I'm the messenger of justice, Mercury."

"Cute name." Iris said.

Mercury grinned. "My grandpa thought of it. Listen, Mrs. West-Allen, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got things to do, messages to deliver, you know how it is. Considering you're a messenger, too. Later!"

Iris smiled and turned back to the camera. "There you have it. The Twin Cities have a new hero, and from the sound of it, Keystone loves Mercury!"

* * *

><p>"So then I brought it here." Naruto said. He had decided to go to Wally with this sort of thing, since he could count on the protégé of Flash to be home on a school night. He was sitting on Wally's bed with his helmet on the desk. The room was filled with Flash propaganda or science posters. Books of advanced sciences filled the walls and a chemistry set sat off in the corner.<p>

"I see..." Wally said, looking the small statue over. He went to his desk and turned the computer on, opening the Internet and going to a site called Skype. Wally logged in and double clicked on a profile. "Rob, hey Rob! Pick up man, I know you're on."

The screen flickered before the logo of a stylish R came on the screen and an obviously disguised voice asked. "Is the room secure?"

Wally's green eyes rolled. "No. Joker is holding me hostage at gunpoint and Harley Quinn is in my kitchen baking muffins."

"Oh, okay." The screen flickered before a kid with a domino mask and raven hair appeared. He gave Wally a grin and frowned when he spotted Naruto peering over his shoulder. "Whose the blond guy?"

"Second cousin. Jay's grandnephew." Wally said. "Robin, meet Mercury, Mercury, meet Robin the Boy Wonder."

"Oh, you mean the kid in the traffic light suit?" Naruto asked. "How do you get around all ninja-like in that?"

Wally burst into snickers and Robin scowled, refocusing on his friend. "Listen, I've got more important things to do than getting insulted by a new guy, Wally. So what's up?"

"Sorry, sorry. Man, that was a good one." Wally said under his breath. He held the trinket up to the screen. "What's this, Rob?"

Robin furrowed his brows and hit a few keys on his side of the console before a blue light shot out of Wally's computer camera, scanning the statue in his hand.

"Cool." Naruto said.

"It seems to be something of...Thangarian origin. Yeah, it was donated by Carter Hall after he unearthed it in Egypt to Keystone City and was being kept in a secure vault." Robin said.

"Not very secure if Captain Shrimp on the Barbie had it." Naruto said dryly, giving Wally a flat glare. "We'll be talking about that later."

Wally chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Must've mixed up my Aussies."

"Enough jokes, the statue was supposed to be delivered to the Keystone-Central Museum of Natural History. Dr. Evelyn Krause was supposed to be able to study it." Robin said. "That thing was to be delivered later today."

"Well, I shouldn't keep her waiting." Naruto said, grabbing his helmet and pulling it on. He took the statue and gave Robin a two-fingered salute. "Nice meeting you, Robin. Later Wally."

"No, wait, not the window! Not the window!" Wally said, only to get a loud shatter. Wally groaned and palmed his head while Robin laughed in the background.

"Wallace Rudolph West!"

"Bus-ted!" Robin said with a snicker.

"Dude!" Wally put his head into his hands.

* * *

><p>Mercury was walking through the KC Museum, the small statue cradled in his arm. Dr. Krause was in the middle of a meeting so he had some time to kill. The sound of flapping wings made him stop where he was in the Egyptian exhibit and look for the source.<p>

"Nice outfit." An alluring voice said from above. Mercury looked up and gaped at the angel that hovered above him. Her skin was a nice shade of mocha, and it contrasted well with her tight blue costume that was parted into two pieces, allowing her midriff to be seen. He was distracted momentarily by her revealed piercing, shaking his head to keep from pulling a Wally. Her wings were snow white and like him, a helmet hid her eyes and the upper part of her face, only hers looked like a blue bird. A sultry smile curled across her face. "Hermes, right?"

"Mercury." He said once he remembered how his mouth worked.

"Same thing." The bird girl said, lowering herself until she was on her feet, nearly matching him in height. She held out a delicate and yet strong hand. "Hawkgirl."

"Nice to meet you." Mercury said, taking her hand in his own and grinning. "So what brings you to Keystone-Central?"

"My parents heard about Capt. Boomerang's attempted theft of the Thangarian totem and sent me to watch over it since they're busy with League business." Hawkgirl said, gesturing to the small statue in his arms after she took her hand back. She gave him a coy smile and looked him up and down, making Mercury fidget nervously. "They didn't say anything about meeting a cutie, though."

"W-Well, you know how it is in this line of work, what with surprises on the job and all that." Mercury said, chuckling nervously.

"Aren't you modest? Not a bad trait for a hero to have." Hawkgirl said, smirking at him. She stood straight and held her hand out. "Mind if I take a look at it?"

Not seeing the harm in it, since it was from her culture and everything, Mercury held the totem out to her. Hawkgirl leaned forward and scrutinized it for a moment before she gasped. Alarmed, the speedster asked. "What? Is something wrong?"

"Its as we feared. The totem is cursed." She said. Mercury nearly dropped the totem in shock.

"You can tell all that from a glance?" he asked.

"Yes. My parents taught me a lot about Thangarian culture." Hawkgirl said. "I should probably get it to them as soon as possible. We can't risk a human getting affected by it."

"What about me?" Mercury asked, worried.

"Hm? Oh, don't worry cutie, you should be fine." She said with a reassuring smile. Her hands closed around the totem and she started to take it. "I'll just take it back to them first."

"Are you sure?" he asked. He didn't want to mess this up.

"Yes." Hawkgirl said with a strong and confidant nod.

"Then I guess you should take it." Mercury said. "It's best if we keep people safe after all."

"Thank you." She said. Before he knew what was happening, Hawkgirl leaned forward and pecked him on his exposed cheek. Mercury felt all his blood rush to his face and gibberish came out of his mouth. Hawkgirl smiled as she spread her wings. "Aw, you really are a cutie. I'll contact you again if anything changes."

"...Okay..." Mercury said, a hand on his cheek while he watched Hawkgirl fly out the open skylight she came in. Wow...Wally was sure going to be jealous. The communicator in his helm beeped and Mercury pressed a button underneath the left wing. "Mercury here."

"You okay? You sound dazed." Flash's concerned voice came through the machine.

"Yeah...I'm good." Mercury knew he was grinning. "What's up, Flash?"

"KF told me about the artifact you got off Boomer." The older speedster said.

"Oh that? I gave it to Hawkgirl, no worries." Mercury said.

"Hawkgirl?" Flash asked.

"Yeah, she said it was cursed."

"...Shayera, what do you know about a Hawkgirl?"

"What did Kendra do now?" a woman with a strong voice asked, though it sounded distant.

_Kendra? Nice name._ Mercury noted before retelling everything that happened between him and Hawkgirl, leaving out the 'cutie' remarks and the kiss on the cheek. That was to gloat about later to Wally. When he finished, he heard some foreign words that had to be Thangarian cursing.

"Uh, did I do something wrong?" Mercury asked nervously.

"Not entirely." Flash said quickly. "You just might've fallen victim to one of our many weaknesses."

"What's that?" Mercury asked, alarmed.

"A pretty smile." Flash said, chuckling as another spew of Thangarian curses left 'Shayera's mouth.

Mercury groaned. "Man...It was a nice one."

"I'm sure it was. Don't sweat it, happened all the time before I got Iris." Flash said consolingly.

"I'll get it back." Mercury said determinedly. "I promise."

"Hey, don't worry about it. We can do this together when I'm done in India." Flash said.

"No, this is my mess and I need to clean it up." Mercury said. He ended the conversation before Flash could refute him and sped out of the museum. He had a bird to cage.

* * *

><p><strong>Review!<strong>


	3. The Hawk and The Hare

**Disclaimer: I don't own DC or Naruto. I think I've said both enough that the point came across.**

**Senkō Rebirth**

**3: The Hawk and the Hare**

* * *

><p>Kendra Hol, adopted daughter of Katar Hol and Shayera Hol (Hawkman and Hawkwoman respectively), laughed to herself as she soared above Central City. "That was almost too easy. It seems those sayings about blonds is true. Though it is a bit of a shame, he was pretty cute."<p>

When she first arrived on this planet five years ago, she was too frightened to really make herself known, that the Thangarian police would find her and force her to go back to that house. Instead, she ran into Shayera Hal, who told her that she had retired from Thangar's forces and took her into her home. Katar was just as, if not more, welcoming to her presence. He had been on the planet longer than either of them, alone in a world of humans. The thought terrified Kendra at first, having been victim to an attempted mugging when Shayera found her.

They taught her right and wrong, and that thievery wasn't necessary anymore, but it had been too ingrained in her for Kendra to consider stopping. They gave her a special harness that would help her hide her wings during the day to blend in with the humans, so that she could go to school with other humans her age. It was one day after her first week in class that she had stumbled across a movie on TV one day after school. _Tomb Raider_, about a woman that ran around and stole artifacts from temples.

It ignited something inside Kendra, and she donned the spare uniform that Shayera had left her. She flew south to Mexico, where reports of a new temple had been found. Kendra went in and stopped grave robbers who had killed a group of curious tourists, afterward finding a golden tablet with Incan markings all over it. Since then, she'd been making a name for herself as a treasure hunter and occasionally a hero.

Kendra looked down at the totem in her hand. "So what's your story? Katar wouldn't have just given you up without reason."

"Hey!"

Kendra stopped and hovered in the air for a second, looking around before spotting a red and blue figure waving her down from a tall building. She cracked a smile. "Well, well, well. Hey, cutie, long time no see."

"I'll cutie you in a second!" Mercury said, scowling at her.

"We haven't even had a real first date yet, but I suppose I can make an exception for you." Kendra said, smirking down at him as she flapped her wings and rose in the air.

"No fair!" Mercury said to her. He blurred away and reappeared on a taller building close to her.

"Well look at that. Exit, stage right." Kendra said with a smirk, flying off to the left.

"Hey! There's no tall buildings over there!" Mercury said. She could hear the pout form on his face.

"That's the point, cutie!" She said with a laugh. She glanced below her and saw a red and blue streak run through the street. It stopped a bit in front of her and then he started to do something while pointing at her with both hands. Kendra couldn't see what, but she knew it was probably not going to end well. Then the cyclone shot out at her, encasing her and throwing her off the air current she was gliding on. Kendra fell, scrambling to recover from the blow. She dropped the totem in the process.

"Dammit!" She said. Kendra went into a dive for the totem. Her hands reached out for it and she almost had it. A gloved red hand grabbed it before her, snatching it out of the air. Kendra was forced to pull up before she hit the ground.

"Thanks, Hawkgirl." Mercury said from where he stood atop a parked car. He held up the totem and gave her a charming grin. "I'll make sure it gets back in the right hands, though."

"Sure you want to risk that curse?" Hawkgirl asked, internally scowling at him while keeping a smile on her face.

"Funny thing about that. You see I had a chat with Flash and a woman named Shayera...ring any bells?" Mercury asked, frowning at her.

"Crap." Hawkgirl said under her breath. She threw her smile back on her face to hide her worry. "So you talked to Shayera, huh? That makes it all the more important I get it back to them."

"There was a lot of cursing involved, and she sounded very upset." Mercury said, tucking the totem under his arm. "And for that reason, I don't think this belongs to you."

Now Hawkgirl lost her smile. "Okay, kid. Here's my offer. You give me the totem and _I_ don't beat your cute booty into the pavement."

"Cute?" Mercury asked, craning his head back to get a look at his own posterior. When he looked back at her, fully prepared with a witty quip, it died on his lips as Hawkgirl whipped out a crossbow with a gleaming arrow knocked and ready to fly. "Uh...Can we talk about this?"

"Talking time is over. You've got three seconds, cutie. Three..." Kendra took aim with her crossbow. "Two..."

"Wait, wait! We _really_ don't need to start shooting arrows, now, do we?" Mercury asked worriedly.

"Going to hand over the totem?"

"Against my better judgment, I'm going to say no."

"One." The arrow shot from her crossbow and Mercury did an impressive backflip onto the pavement. Hawkgirl arched a brow beneath her mask. "Huh, that was cool."

"I know right?"

"Dodge this one." Hawkgirl said, firing a sparking arrow from her crossbow. Mercury swerved out of the way. This continued, Mercury avoiding arrows shot at him in varying impressive manners, not once diving into his Superspeed because of his worry for civilians and his surroundings, and Hawkgirl growing more and more annoyed yet intrigued by him. "Is this some sort of earthling mating ritual?"

"I don't know. Is almost killing someone a Thangarian mating ritual?" Mercury asked, his face a bit red from the thought.

"Is it working?" Hawkgirl asked with a smirk.

"Uh...Look! A distraction!" Mercury said, pointing behind Hawkgirl before he sped up the side of the building he was in front of.

"They're so funny when they think they can escape." Hawkgirl said to herself as she flew up after him. She made it to the roof, but there was no sign of him. Hawkgirl floated down to the roof, looking around with her crossbow at the ready. "Just give me the totem, cutie, and this all goes away."

"You'll have to catch me first!" Mercury said, shooting out from behind an air conditioning unit and grabbing the Thangarian's helmet. He spun it around before shooting off back to the museum.

"That little-! Oh, when I catch you, you're going to wish you just handed it to me." Hawkgirl said as she fixed her helmet before flying off after him. When she caught up to him, she debated taking shots at him but decided against it since they were in a civilian heavy area. And she wasn't a villain, just a thief. "What if I said, 'pretty please'?"

"Not happening!" Mercury said over his shoulder.

"Come on. I'll bet a goodie-goodie like you has never even kissed a girl. Give me the totem and I'll fix that for you." Hawkgirl said with a smirk.

"No need, I've already done that!"

"I'm sure you have."

"I _have_!"

"Prove it, then. I'll let you get a free one in" She said. Mercury tripped up a bit and Hawkgirl smirked. She had him. "Virgin lips, hm?"

"So maybe I haven't, so what?" Mercury asked, hiding his face from her.

"How old are you?" Hawkgirl asked.

"I could ask you the same thing!"

"That would be rude."

"And pointless!" A new voice added. Hawkgirl looked up, falling back as a golden fist came at her from above. Her attacker followed with a right uppercut that she barely managed to avoid by getting some distance between them. She got a good glimpse at him and scowled. The man had golden Thangarian armor decorating his torso and false wings made of the same Nth element. A bird-like helmet hid most of his face, large golden eyes glaring daggers at her.

It was the Golden Eagle, a former protégé of Katar's who went rogue for unknown reasons.

"You!" Hawkgirl said with bite. She didn't approve of the teen her age trying to kill her adoptive parents.

"Hey, _Hol_, how's it going?" Golden Eagle asked, sneering at her. He avoided an arrow shot at him and smirked. "Too slow!"

* * *

><p>Mercury noticed that Hawkgirl wasn't following him anymore, and wondered what that meant. He looked around and found her a few hundred feet away in battle with a shiny figure over the road. Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Mercury debated leaving her to fight off the assailant before throwing that idea out the window. He was a hero, and heroes helped everyone. Mercury ran back to the fighters, blinking in surprise when he realized another Thangarian was fighting with Hawkgirl.<p>

"What's going on?" He asked as Hawkgirl backhanded the Thangarian down into the street.

The Thangarian got to his feet and turned to glare at him. "Personal matters, stay out of it!"

"No way, these cities are under my protection and so is everyone in them." Mercury said, readjusting the totem in his arm. The small gleam got the Thangarian's attention.

"The Urn of Chay'ara...Give that to me!" The Thangarian said, jumping at Mercury. The speedster zipped out of the way, allowing the new golden clad enemy land on his face with a groan.

"Geez, what's with you birds and this statue?" Mercury asked.

"Told you it was cursed, cutie." Hawkgirl said, taking aim with her crossbow and shooting at the golden hawk. He moved out of the way and Hawkgirl growled. "Stay down, Eagle!"

"Not until the Hawks on this planet lay at my feet!" Golden Eagle said, scowling as he faced them. He pressed a button on his gauntlet, causing spikes to protrude from his knuckles.

"I think he might like you." Mercury said to Hawkgirl.

"You're the only one for me, cutie." Hawkgirl said as she lowered down to land next to him and reload her crossbow's clip. "Want me to hold that while you play hero?"

"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" Mercury asked.

Hawkgirl smirked at him. "A little."

"Ha. Ha." Mercury said dryly. He avoided Golden Eagle's flying punch that almost caught him off guard. "Hey! I wasn't ready!"

"Give! Me! That! Urn!" Golden Eagle said with each punch.

"I! Don't! Want! To!" Mercury said as he dodged the attacks. The speedster dropped down low and swept the Thangarian off his feet, rising back up and spinning into a back roundhouse kick that sent Golden Eagle into a back first collision with a parked Toyota. Mercury grinned as he landed on his feet. "Ha! I knew that weird martial arts thing would come in handy! KF will _never_ live this day down!"

"I'll _kill_ you!" Golden Eagle said with a roar, flying from his place in the car at Mercury. The speedster jumped up and over the enraged winged warrior, letting Golden Eagle fly past him.

"Like I told Hawkgirl, you'll have to catch me first!" Mercury said with a grin. A hand reached for the totem, urn, thing and Mercury made some distance between himself and Hawkgirl. "Really?"

"Do you blame a girl for trying?" Hawkgirl asked, giving him a coy smile.

"A little." Mercury said dryly.

"Want to kiss and make up?" Hawkgirl asked, her smile widening.

"Really? Now? There's someone trying to kill you!" Mercury said, looking exasperated.

"So?" Hawkgirl's smile didn't dim in the slightest.

"...I have no response for that."

"I do."

Mercury just groaned and gestured to the approaching Golden Eagle. "Can we focus on the psycho in gold, please?"

"Do I get a reward for helping?"

"You're not getting the totem."

"I never said anything about the totem."

"I-You...Why me?" Mercury asked himself. He avoided the next fist thrown at him from Golden Eagle. "Seriously, dude, what is your deal!?"

"That urn contains the ashes of the original Chay'ara! If I destroy that, I end her life. _Permanently_." Golden Eagle said.

"Not happening." Mercury said, cradling the urn tightly as his eyes narrowed.

"Then you will die." Golden Eagle snapped a punch that nailed Mercury in the jaw. Mercury stumbled back, leaning on a dark Chevy while rubbing his jaw. The scrapes on his face already healed, but Golden Eagle was going in for another strike. Mercury moved, letting the parked Impala take the hit for him.

"Hey Eagle! Catch!" Hawkgirl said, firing a bolt at Golden Eagle's back. The golden clad Thangarian turned and caught the bolt in his hand. He smirked at Hawkgirl, who smirked back. The arrowhead suddenly came alive in a explosion of electricity, the sparks travelling through Golden Eagle's armor and into his body. Golden Eagle screamed in pain before dropping the arrow, leaving him open for a kick from Mercury. The golden Thangarian flew into another parked car, making the frame implode upon itself.

"I hope the insurance company pays for that." Mercury said to himself, keeping his guard up and watching Golden Eagle carefully. To his dismay, the villain started to rise up and out of the car. Mercury groaned. "Oh come on, give me a break!"

"Trust me, I will!" Golden Eagle said with a snarl as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Golden Eagle turned around and grabbed the car he was whipped into, ripping off the indented door and throwing it at Mercury. The intended target ducked under the door and winced when the projectile imbedded itself halfway into a concrete wall.

"Up here, Goldilocks!" Hawkgirl said, her crossbow being folded up and replaced with a collapsible mace. She twisted the grip and the heavy Nth metal came to life with electricity. "Let's dance."

"It will be your last." Golden Eagle said, his eyes narrowed behind his mask. He shot up from the ground, his fist brought back. Hawkgirl brought her own mace up over her shoulder and swung it like a bat, knocking the villain to the ground.

"Hey!"

Golden Eagle looked up from his crater, getting a supersonic punch to the face.

"Stop! Damaging! My! City!" Mercury said with each of his punches. Golden Eagle slipped his feet into Mercury's gut and shoved him off. The speedster recovered midair and landed on his feet, racing at Golden Eagle and jumping into the air. His feet shot out with the sounds of gunshots, drilling Golden Eagle into the ground with the barrage of kicks. With a final double kick, Mercury sent Golden Eagle skidding down the road. After seeing the damage he caused indirectly, Mercury palmed himself in the face.

"Dammit, I wrecked the street. Oh well, now I can prove to KF that kick move in that video game he showed me _is_ possible," He said, his lips spreading into a grin. He raced back to a small mailbox and vibrated his hand through, pulling out the urn with a smirk. "God, I love the fact that I can do that."

"Yeah it does seem handy," Hawkgirl said as she landed next to him with a smirk on her face. "Do I have to ask nicely for the urn or will I have to fight for it?"

"...Seriously? We just fought the golden turkey and you still want to fight for this thing?" Mercury asked. He flushed a little as Hawkgirl leaned into his space, walking her fingers up his chest.

"Call it my Thangarian instincts," She said with a smirk. Mercury babbled for a moment, being saved from responding as Golden Eagle shot out of his trench, yelling angrily and incoherently. Mercury wrapped an arm around Hawkgirl, rushing her out of Golden Eagle's immediate reach and making the Thangarian villain fly headfirst into a windshield. Hawkgirl smiled at Mercury from where she lay beneath him. "And here I thought you weren't bold."

"Please, stop," Mercury said with a small whine. His hormones could only take so much. "Let's just focus on taking this guy down."

"Not my ideal first date, but I'll suppose it'll do." Hawkgirl said as he helped her back to her feet.

"I don't know why I bother." Mercury said with a groan. He began vibrating his arm at high speeds and Hawkgirl charged her mace up again.

Golden Eagle stumbled off of the car and turned around, holding his head. Mercury's eyes narrowed and he shot forward, Hawkgirl right behind him. They swung their respective weapon of choice, in Mercury's case his supersonic punch and in Hawkgirl's her Nth mace dancing with electricity, hitting Golden Eagle square in the face. Golden Eagle was sent through a car behind him and through a wall. He groaned and tried to get up, but ultimately fell down, unconscious.

"All right!" Mercury said turning and grinning at Hawkgirl, who had her own small smile. She lifted her hand and Mercury high fived it. The sound of clapping had the two turning around, surprised to find the scarlet speedster standing behind them and applauding.

"Not bad, kids." Flash said with a smile. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked up. "What do you think, Shayera?"

"Oh great." Hawkgirl said with a groan as Hawkwoman descended from above. Unlike Hawkgirl, Hawkwoman had a healthy tanned skin and red hair. Her armor was more similar to Golden Eagle's than Hawkgirl's, and she wore red boots and green tights. Weird.

"They did well. I guess you were right. We hadn't needed to interfere." Hawkwoman said. She sounded a bit disappointed at that. The Thangarian woman held her hand out to Mercury. "The urn, please?"

"Here you go." Mercury said, handing it over.

"What? I give you a kiss on the cheek and you steal it from me, but she asks somewhat nicely and gets it like that?" Hawkgirl asked. She pouted at the helmeted teen. Mercury opened his mouth and gibber-rush came out.

"It belongs to me." Hawkwoman said, cutting Mercury off and looking at the urn. "Just what exactly were you going to do with it when you had it, Kendra?"

"Um...Next question." Hawkgirl said, not looking all too entitled to answering her mother.

Hawkwoman's eyes narrowed behind her mask. "You're grounded. Again."

"Dammit," Hawkgirl said. Hawkwoman nodded to the speedsters before taking off, stopping in the air and telling her protégé/daughter to hurry up. Hawkgirl turned to Mercury with a small smile. Before he could say anything, she grabbed both sides of his helmet and gave him a kiss on the lips. Hawkgirl laughed slightly as she pulled away from the dazed and confused Mercury. "At least I stole something successfully today. Later, cutie."

"Bye..." Mercury said, sounding distant as Hawkgirl took off. Flash sped over to Mercury's side, a grin on his face as he clapped a hand on the younger speedster's shoulder.

"Way to go! But be careful with those Thangarians, kid. They've got hot tempers." He said. Giving another pat on the shoulder, Flash looked around. "Let's get started on clean up and restrain Golden Eagle."

"Right..." Mercury said, nodding before distractedly rushing over to the unconscious villain's side. He stopped for a moment and lifted his hand to his lips, remembering the soft feel of Hawkgirl's on his own. Golden Eagle groaned, snapping Mercury out of his thoughts and reminding him of what needed to be done.

* * *

><p>"...You lucky bastard." Wally said from where he sat on his computer chair, backwards so he could rest his chin on his arms and glare at Naruto. The still costumed blond was lounging on the bed, his shoes off and his helmet at his side.<p>

After the authorities took Golden Eagle away, he and Flash repaired the road and the immediate area as best they could until the city's officials let them go on their way. Couldn't take jobs away from the little guys after all. So while Flash went back on patrol, Naruto ran over to Wally's again and told him about everything that happened.

"I told you, it wasn't my fault. _She_ kissed _me_." Naruto said, averting his eyes slightly and flushing as he thought about that kiss. As far as he knew, that was his first.

"But-but it was _Hawkgirl_!" Wally said, whining as he depressingly hung over the back of his chair. "She's a total babe! And she kissed you! _You_!"

"What's wrong with me?" Naruto asked, frowning at the implications of the statement his friend made.

"You're a rookie! I've been at this for almost a year!" Wally said with a pout. His pout turned into a glare. "Leave the babes to the experienced heroes and wait your damn turn!"

"It wasn't like I had a choice!" Naruto said. "She just grabbed me and...you know!"

"Liar!" Wally pointed at him accusingly. "You seduced her! How? I must know!"

"Boys! I've got cookies!" Mary, Wally's mother, said from downstairs. She was aware of their identities, a must since her brother-in-law had warned her about byproducts of Wally's powers, and didn't mind it all too much since she loved cooking. So when she heard about another speedster in the area Wally's age, she encouraged him to come over more often. Mary figured it would do Wally good to have a friend with powers like him.

"We'll be right there!" Wally said before pointing at Naruto expectantly. "This isn't over."

"But it wasn't my fault!" Naruto said. The two of them zipped downstairs, getting a disapproving frown from Mary.

"Wallace Rudolph West, what have I told you about running in the house?" She asked.

"Not to, sorry Mom." Wally said, snatching a cookie and eating it. Naruto wasn't far behind him, grabbing several cookies and shoving them in his mouth. Wally, seeing an opportunity for payback, grinned. "So guess what, Mom? You know that fight downtown a few hours ago?"

"Janice won't stop calling to talk about it. Oh, and Nathan, Iris wants to get an exclusive in costume later. Fair warning." Mary said, getting a thankful nod from the blond.

"Well, Nathan here stole a kiss from Hawkgirl after it." Wally said smirking while Naruto choked on the cookies he was currently trying to eat. His smirk fell at seeing his mother give a bright smile to the blond.

"Good for you, Nathan! I hear she's really pretty." Mary said, making Naruto choke harder and try to explain himself. Mary turned to her son and frowned. "And when will you get a girlfriend?"

"Mom!" Wally said, looking disappointed that his plan somewhat backfired.

"I didn't kiss her! She kissed me!" Naruto finally said once he swallowed the lump of food that was in his mouth.

"Oh! How unusual! Will you be inviting her over to meet the Garrick's for dinner soon?" Mary asked.

"Wha-No! She's not my girlfriend!" Naruto said, his cheeks flaming in embarrassment.

"Sure she isn't." Mary said, giving a tittering laugh. "I'll be sure to tell Iris this if Barry hasn't already. The new hero already stealing my baby's place in the spotlight."

"Mom!" "Mrs. West!" both young speedsters protested.

"What?" Mary asked, a smirk on her face.

"Mom, there's a code of conduct here!" Wally said, giving Naruto a mild glare. "Newbies don't get the babes! It's like, a law or something."

"Really?" Mary asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. "Just where does it say that?"

"Uh, hero rule, um, one hundred and thirty seven, paragraph two, line six!" Wally said matter-of-factly. "It's in quotations. From Superman!"

"Superman?" Mary asked, her smile widening. "The 'boy scout' that Flash works with?"

"...Yes." Wally said, nodding.

"Wait, are you talking about the dude with the red underwear outside the blue suit?" Naruto asked, faintly remembering seeing him on the news. "That guy dates? He seems like a stiff to me."

"M-My point still stands!" Wally said while his mother laughed at Naruto's comment.

"Nathan, dear, you should really give Wally some tips." Mary said with a smile. "Poor boy's never going to get a girlfriend."

"Mom!" Wally said, his face as red as his hair while Naruto laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So who else enjoyed The Flash? Anyone? I know I did. Though the Arrow that followed was a bit weak, especially with Barry's cameo. Maybe Arrow and Flash should switch airtimes? Neat to see the guest stars, though.<strong>

**Y'all know what I'm gonna put next...**

**Review!**


	4. Memories

**Disclaimer: I don't own DC or Naruto. I think I've said both enough that the point came across.**

**Senkō**

**4: Memories**

* * *

><p>"This is torture..." Naruto said to his lab partner Corey Mills. The boy stood a few inches taller than Naruto and was of African descent. After Naruto's first day in March, Corey proclaimed he was the best friend of Nathan Garrick, which quite frankly Naruto was okay with. Corey seemed very familiar for some reason, possibly similar to someone he knew before he lost his memories.<p>

"You're telling me, Nate." Corey said. Both of them held a different test tube with different colors, labeled only with the elemental number. "Do we add this and then stir that in, or do we add that and stir this in?"

"...Maybe we add both and stir them together?" Naruto said, not sounding too sure of that. He'd only been in school for two months and he knew now that he didn't want anything to do with science or math. He was barely scraping a C average out of those classes, and that was with effort.

"What could go wrong?" Corey asked.

* * *

><p>Two minutes later, the lab was on fire and the school was evacuated. Firefighters and their trucks were parked on the front lawn and students were gathered behind the barrier. Since no one expected the chemistry wing to suddenly go up in flames, people were stranded until parents arrived. Of course, Naruto acted fast and got separated from Corey so he could double check that no one was stuck in the school.<p>

"Well that was fun!" Corey said with a grin. Naruto shook his head with a chuckle.

"We're so failing that class." He said with a depressed sigh. "My grandma's going to kill me."

"My dad's going to never let me have a social life." Corey said, nodding in agreement. He clapped Naruto on the back with a smile. "Oh well, I guess we'll have to just party tonight!"

"Excuse me." The two boys turned at the sound of a disapproving voice. A girl with short black hair stood behind them, dressed in tight jeans and a Bears shirt. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was glaring at them with accusing black eyes. "Did you two have something to do with this?"

"Uh...no?" Naruto said, getting a small look from Corey. "Er, I mean, no."

"Really?" the girl asked, scrutinizing them. "Because I've been asking everyone who was in the chemistry class today and they also said that they hadn't caused this."

"Well someone is obviously lying then." Corey said, rolling his eyes. "And it's not us. We were doing _exactly_ what the teacher told us to do."

"I'm sure you were." The girl said. "Listen, my dad is a cop and you can bet he'll get himself assigned to this case. If you guys figure out who might have caused this, let me know so I can try and get them off a bit lighter if it was an accident. Plus, I want the first scoop."

"What are you, a reporter?" Corey asked.

The girl smirked. "You bet your ass I am. Linda Park, I just transferred to this school and I need a good story to break into the paper."

"Why not try what everyone else does and get a interview with Flash?" Naruto asked, remembering a day when reporters swarmed him, KF and Flash, and the scarlet speedster chose only to speak to the Central High student.

Linda frowned. "That's not a serious story, that's a publication stunt."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, frowning now.

"Heroes always get first page priority. It doesn't matter what story follows after the picture. The Flash saved the kitten in a tree. Invigorating." Linda said, rolling her eyes. "That's not news, that's not journalism. That's taking hard work and spitting in its face. A real story is about something that doesn't involve heroes."

"Like a chem lab fire? Stop the presses." Corey said, rolling his eyes.

Linda scowled at him and put her hands on her hips. "I'm being serious here."

"So you want to be like Iris West-Allen?" Naruto asked.

"Maybe? I don't know." Linda said, rubbing her neck.

"That's cool." Naruto said with a grin. He offered her his hand. "Nathan Garrick."

Linda looked at him for a second before smiling back and taking his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Corey Mills." Corey said, thrusting his hand out. He grinned charmingly at Linda. "It's a pleasure."

"Maybe for you." Linda said, taking her hand back from Naruto. She gave Corey a once over before walking away. "I'll see you around, boys."

"Oh you know it." Corey said with a grin.

Naruto shook his head. "I'm surrounded by perverts."

"You'll convert," Corey said. He smirked at his friend. "They always do."

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful spring day on May fifteenth. Mercury, his school closed for the week to rebuild the science labs, was on patrol in downtown Central City. Kid Flash was not as lucky and with Flash doing his paid job, as it were, Mercury was on his own. Currently he was taking a small break, sitting atop a gargoyle overlooking a visit by the state representative at City Hall and enjoying a burrito.<p>

"Mm...Grilled chicken," Mercury said. He took a bite and sighed in bliss at the taste of chicken, spices, corn and sour cream hit his buds. The food was appropriated and swallowed, Mercury letting out another sound of enjoyment. "Good food and I'm getting a paper done? This is an awesome day."

Mercury reached up and cranked the knob hidden in his wing. The radio turned up and he grinned. "Welcome to Central City, Mr. Duncan."

About half an hour in, Mercury rolled his neck for the third time and readjusted his lounging position on the gargoyle he named Benny.

"Oh my god, Benny, this is taking forever..." Mercury draped himself over Benny's head, his chin resting on the stone's forehead. "I know it's so wrong for me to say this, but I wish things would get interesting."

The sun shone down on his visor and Mercury squinted, groaning at the glare. He shifted his position and a gleam caught his eye. Mercury shifted his position and looked for the gleam. He found it, a building not to far from himself.

"Magnify," Mercury said, his eyes narrowing. The lenses he had were bestowed with high value tech from S.T.A.R. Labs; digital enhanced vision up to twenty miles away was the best feature they had. Night vision was a close second and infrared was at the bottom. He had yet to find a use for it. Regardless, Mercury found the source of the gleam. A blond man wearing a hockey mask was aiming a big gun at the speaker.

"Aw man...This has to be that Murphy guy that Kid Flash talks about." Mercury said. He stood up and cracked his neck. "See ya later, Benny. It's hero time."

The speedster did as the Flash Family did best and ran at the shooter-to-be. His fist cocked back and he swung for a surefire hit. In the back of his head, he wondered what his face looked like when he missed.

"Almost got me." The voice of the shooter-to-be said. A hand grabbed Mercury's arm, spinning him around and slamming him into the roof on his stomach. Mercury coughed in pain as a knee was driven into his back, his helmet was ripped off and a knife was pressed to his neck. "Not bad...for a child."

"Why?" Naruto asked, turning his head to glare at the man. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" The masked man chuckled. "Because kid, I've got a job to do. Nothing personal. I'm just a greedy demon sent from hell."

Naruto paused at that.

"_The Demon of the Mist...Do you know why they call me that?"_

"_The boy that killed all of his classmates."_

"_Wh-what? Why!"_

"_Because I could. Just like I'll kill that bridge builder."_

"_You'll have to get through us, first!"_

"_Oh, I'm so scared. You're just a bunch of kids playing ninja."_

"I am not a kid!" Naruto said stubbornly, vibrating himself through the stranger's grip and through the roof. He turned around and jumped up, vibrating even faster than before. The blond's teeth were gritted tightly and he stopped vibrating. "And I'm taking you down, Zabuza."

"Zabu-what?" The man tilted his head and Naruto's vision swam. Instead of the masked blond man that stood in front of him, Naruto saw a man lacking eyebrows, his hair dark as the night, and his mouth hidden by tape. He was tall and lean, wearing strange pajama-like pants, a strap over his chest and camouflaged arm and legwear.

Naruto's eyes dilated and widened at the same time, running forward with a yell. Naruto hit 'Zabuza' with a strong right, the man spinning with the momentum and hitting him in the gut with a kick. Naruto slid back, falling to a knee and looking up at 'Zabuza' with a glare.

"Not bad, kid. But not good enough." 'Zabuza' said. He crouched down and grabbed the he helmet on the roof. "I thought this Flash retired...Guess he's got his own protégé now."

"Give. That. Back." Naruto said, his eyes narrowing. The cerulean blue flashed bright blood red for a brief moment, gone in a blink. He did not see the helmet. He saw a blue headband with a metal plate, a spiral carved into it. Teeth grit together and the blond hero moved. He gave a high-speed barrage of punches and kicks that 'Zabuza' blocked before bursting into a run around his enemy.

"You think this intimidates me? I fought the Flash, kid. And you ain't him." 'Zabuza' said, his eyes narrowing. 'Zabuza's arm shot out, catching Naruto with a clothesline that had him sliding away on his back into the edge of the roof. Zabuza snorted. "This is pathetic. You can't win, kid."

Naruto groaned and glared at 'Zabuza'. The image blurred and returned to the hockey masked blond man instead of the strange figure from his past. His scowl turned into a smirk as he held his helmet up. "Who said I was trying to be the Flash?"

"What? Is that your super helmet or something?" The man asked.

"No. It's just got all these neat little machines. Including a frequency emitter." Naruto smirked as he cranked the knob around his wing. Immediately, the man fell to his knees holding his head. "And unlike you: I've got some protection from high frequencies thanks to my powers."

"Doesn't...Mean...Anything..." The man said, whipping a gun out and aiming at Naruto. Blue eyes narrowed. "I can still...kill you!"

"Doubt it." Naruto said, grinning. He vanished from his spot on the ground and reappeared in a crouch in front of the masked man, his foot shooting out and nailing the hockey-face in the chin. "U!"

The stranger shot up into the air as Naruto pulled his helmet on. Mercury rushed to an air conditioning unit and jumped off of it, kicking his foe in the stomach. "Zu!"

Mercury ran to another building, rushing back up to the rooftop and jumping from the edge to deliver another kick to the gut. He followed with a quick kick to the jaw. "Maki!"

Mercury landed on the roof in a crouch and vibrated his legs before jumping up higher than the masked shooter. The blond hockey mask wearing shooter widened his eyes in shock as Mercury interlaced his hands above his head into an axe handle. "Naruto Rendan!"

The following blow sent the masked man down through the roof and the floor below it. Mercury landed on the roof and looked down into the hole with a grin.

"You just got your ass kicked, dattebayo!" Mercury blinked. "Wait, what did I just say?"

The man pushed himself out of the rubble and shook his head. He turned his head up and narrowed his eyes. "Not bad, kid. But it takes a lot to knock Sportsmaster out of the game."

Sportsmaster reached into his belt and pulled out one of his collapsible javelins, throwing it up at the spot where Mercury was. The javelin struck the part of the roof that Mercury stood on and exploded. The speedster cried out as he fell from the roof, hitting the ground with thud. Sportsmaster smirked and walked over to the groaning teen, stomping down onto his stomach and pulling another javelin out.

"Game over," he said, lifting the javelin above his head.

"The game's just begun, Sport!" A red fist came from the side and sent Sportsmaster spinning to the ground. Flash stood between Mercury and Sportsmaster with a smirk on his face. "A bit out of your league, aren't you?"

Sportsmaster made a grunt and rolled his arm. It snapped back into place with a sickening crack. "Maybe. I thought you already had a sidekick."

"He's a...family friend," Flash said.

"May want to consider swapping out," Sportsmaster said. He cracked his neck and looked outside. Blue eyes narrowed. "Not only did he stop me from getting a single shot off, he managed to dislocate my shoulder and sent me through two floors. When's the last time Kid Flash stopped an assassination attempt?"

"I'll be sure to tell Mercury you think so highly of him," Flash said with narrowed eyes.

"I've got a feeling I'll be able to tell him in person." Sportsmaster held up a remote. "Try and follow me, and I will blow the City Hall."

"Contingencies," Flash said, groaning as he held his head. "Fine. But if you so much as try to press that button..."

"Oh I know the best way out of this city. Good game, Flash. Until next time," Sportsmaster said, dropping a smoke bomb on his way out. When the smoke cleared, Flash stood only with the groaning teen speedster.

"Jerk." Flash turned and knelt down, grabbing Mercury's shoulder and jostling it. "Hey, Mercury. Wake up, kid."

Mercury's eyes snapped open and he shot upright. "Zabuza, no!"

"Easy! Easy," Flash said, keeping Mercury in place. "Sportsmaster's gone, kid."

Mercury groaned and grabbed his head. "Where'd he go...? Where's...?"

"He left." Flash patted Mercury on the shoulder. "Who's Zabuza?"

"He...I...I don't know." The helmet came off and Naruto threw it away before holding his head. "I feel like I'm going to blow up!"

"One of your memories must be coming back." Flash said. He started to help Naruto up when he fell right through him, stumbling passed the young hero. "Hey!"

"Sorry...My head...Barry...Help..." Naruto's eyes rolled into his head and he fell to his back unconscious.

"Don't worry, Naruto," Flash said, walking over to him and picking the blond up. He dashed to the helmet, picking it up and putting it on Naruto's head. "We'll get you somewhere safe."

* * *

><p>"<em>When a person has something important to protect, that is when they become truly strong."<em>

"_Huh? You really think so?"_

"_I know from experience. It was a pleasure to meet you, Naruto."_

"_Yeah, nice meeting you, too."_

"_Oh, and Naruto?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I'm a boy."_

"_...What?!"_

* * *

><p>Naruto shot up in his seat. "There's no way you're a boy!"<p>

"Well I would hope not," Joan said with a laugh as she eased him back into his bed. "Otherwise all those days at the hair salon back in college were a waste of time."

"What? Grandma Joan? What happened to...? Another memory." Naruto groaned and rolled onto his side.

"Here, swallow this." Joan held out a pill and a glass of water. Naruto quickly took and downed both. "I know it won't help much, but it should ease your headache for fifteen minutes or so."

"His metabolism is faster than mine, Joan," Jay said as he walked into the room. Behind him was the scarlet speedster minus his cowl, Barry with a notepad in his hand. Jay walked over to his adopted grandnephew's side and smiled. "How are you feeling, Nate?"

"My head is pounding and I feel like I'm on fire." Naruto groaned and his eyes squeezed shut tightly.

"Memories resurfacing after how knows how long in the Speed Force will tend to do that." Barry came over and put a hand on Joan's shoulder. "Iris is in the kitchen preparing a second lunch."

"Eager to get that interview?" Joan asked with a knowing smile. "I'll get out of your way. Just keep me informed."

"Of course."

Joan nodded and smiled at Naruto, brushing her hand through his hair. "Feel better, Nathan."

Naruto smiled gratefully at her despite his pain. "Thanks Grandma Joan."

"Anytime." Joan got up and left the room. Jay took her seat and Barry moved closer to the bed.

"I know it's probably the last thing you want to do, Nathan, but we need you to think about the memory that resurfaced during your fight with Sportsmaster," Barry said. "You mentioned the name 'Zabuza'."

Naruto held his hand up to his head and closed his eyes again. "It's some guy...I fought him. He was about the same height as Sport guy-"

"Sportsmaster."

"Right. He was the same height, but, leaner. Pajamas and camouflaged shoes...Bandages around his mouth and he was missing eyebrows," Naruto said. He groaned. "I thought I was fighting him...He pissed me off so much."

"I suspect you've fought this person before." Jay scratched his head in thought. "And it was after you ran from building to building?"

"Yeah...I passed out again after..." Naruto trailed off, going back to the memory he woke to.

"You were moving really fast. At the peak of supersonic speed," Barry said. He scratched his chin. "You were vibrating afterwards...Naruto, just how fast did you go when you were fighting Sportsmaster?"

"I don't know." Naruto said.

"...I'll have Joan call Max and have him meet us at the treadmill." Jay said, zipping out and reappearing in his getup. "She's dialing now I'd bet."

"The ol' zip by and leave a message on the counter trick?" Barry asked as he pulled his cowl back on. Naruto started to get up, but Flash stopped him. "You're catching a ride, Naruto."

"What? I can run it easy!" Naruto said, getting out of bed. His legs acted like noodles and he fell forward, Jay catching him and helping him upright. "Okay...I'll take that ride."

* * *

><p>"Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet face to face. I'm sorry we hadn't sooner and that it's under these circumstances," Max said to Naruto as he greeted the three speedsters outside of the warehouse. "The last time I saw you, you had just come out of the Speed Force."<p>

"Sorry I hadn't come visit," Naruto said with an apologetic smile. He shook the older man's hand. "So you're Max Mercury? What was it like starting out?"

"Back when I first began, all I had to worry about was supplying food for the tribe." Max stared off into the distance, thinking of days long since passed. He shook his head. "No matter, we have other things to worry about at the moment. We can catch up later."

"We'll have lunch. No objections!" Jay said as Max made to open his mouth. The Native American chuckled.

"Alright. Let's see if we can't put a cap on this boy." Max said, waving them to follow him in. They walked to the treadmill, Naruto whistling in interest at it. He pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes and grinned as he stepped on the treadmill.

"Ready whenever you guys are." Naruto said, tapping the button that brought his helmet out. He gave the older speedsters a thumbs up, getting nods from the older speedster.

"Barry will run alongside you in case you start to fade again," Max said, the scarlet speedster appearing next to Naruto in a blink of an eye. "Jay will watch your vitals and I'll be monitoring your connection to the Force."

"Yes Master Yoda." Flash said, Jay chuckling at the reference.

"I don't get it." Naruto frowned, a bit jealous that he didn't get the joke.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one." Max shook his head at the Flashes antics. "Alright, you two may begin."

"I'll try to keep up, Merc." Flash said, grinning at the helmeted blond. Naruto grinned back before setting into a steady pace of sixty-seven miles per hour. Flash laughed. "Two miles over the top speed? Come on...You can go faster than that."

Naruto smirked and cranked it to just under the sound barrier.

"Faster!" Flash said, urging Naruto on. He saw the unsure look on the newest speedster's face and grinned. "The League will take care of any unwanted attention, don't worry about it."

"If you say so." Naruto grinned once more at the sonic booms that followed him and Flash.

"Mach one...and increasing." Max said.

"Kid topped out at Mach Two, knocked out for two days." Jay said, watching the vitals worriedly. It was fine for now, but the fact that there seemed to be no stress yet worried him.

"Faster!" Flash urged.

Naruto pumped his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"Mach four...four point six...four point seven..." Max said. His eyes went wide. "Jay, he's going to reach hypersonic!"

"Can the treadmill take it?" Jay asked.

"It's designed to be powered by Barry's top speed."

"That's Mach nine..." Jay looked at the read-out. "Mach eight...point three...point four...point five..."

"He was in the Speed Force much longer than we anticipated!"

Flash was huffing, feeling the burn. He glanced at Naruto. "Okay...Now I'm feeling it. Tell me you are, too."

"You're tired already?" Naruto asked. He panted and looked at the Flash. "I feel like – like I can run forever!"

"At-At Mach Nine?" Flash had a look of disbelief on his face.

"Faster!" Naruto said. A bead of sweat fell down the side of his face. "I can...I can go faster!"

"It's going past Mach Nine! Barry get off of that thing, he's going to go hypersonic!" Max said.

"Nathan! Naruto, slow down!" Jay said.

"No! Gotta find my limit!" Naruto said. The treadmill started to groan under the strain.

"If he breaks the treadmill he's going to be running through walls and around the planet," Max said. He looked at Jay worriedly. "And if this isn't his cap...he could rip the planet apart with his speed alone."

"So what do we do?" Jay asked. He looked down at the vitals at the sound of a flat line and looked back up. "That's...!"

Max looked at the readout. "He's going too fast for the monitor to read! We need to stop him now or he's going to rip loose and tear the city, if not the world, apart!"

Jay looked at the panting Flash. "Barry, stop him!"

"Stop him? I can barely keep up with him." Flash said to himself. He looked at Naruto, whose eyes were half lidded. An idea, stupid, but clever all the same, hit the scarlet speedster.

Flash stuck his foot out and Naruto tripped.

Naruto's eyes widened before he landed face-first on the treadmill, being shot off it and through two pillars of solid concrete and metal. Flash was lucky enough to fall forward, turning to land on his shoulder with a grunt. Max walked over to Flash while Jay raced to Naruto's side, looking down at the blond with concern. Naruto blearily looked up at Jay, a light shining behind him had Naruto blinking slowly. Jay's face was replaced with a man far older, shorter and balder.

"Jiji..." Naruto reached up and then passed out.

Jay pressed two fingers to Naruto's neck and listened. A faint pulse was there, slowing to a normal human rate. Jay sighed in relief and took the helmet off of Naruto's head, twisting the wing and letting it collapse back into Naruto's sunglasses. Jay placed them back on Naruto's face and picked the unconscious speedster up. He looked to Flash, who was being steadied by Max.

Barry pulled his cowl off and looked at Jay. He was drenched in sweat. "Kid's fast...real fast."

"Dangerously fast." Max helped Barry over to a chair and let him rest. "He needs to learn restraint."

"Easier said than done." Flash said. He tapped a spot on his wrist and a hidden energy bar popped out. He ripped the end off and took a bite. "After his last flashback, I think he lost control. That's why he vibrated so fast I fell right through him after he fought Sportsmaster."

"Then he needs to learn how to control not only his speed, but his body." Max said. "That was a defensive mechanism you just described. Unable to touch when the mind is so desperately in jeopardy? Sound familiar?"

"You want him to meet J'onn?" Barry asked.

"I think a counseling session or two wouldn't hurt," Max said.

"Let's get on that after we get back home." Jay looked worriedly to the speedster in his arms.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there's chapter four for you. The first memories to return are without a doubt probably one of the best arcs in <strong>_**Naruto**_**. I'll miss the manga when it's gone.**

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